Apparatus for treating finely-divided material for the recovery of metals.



No. 774,736. PATENTED NOV. 15, 1904. D. 0. BOLEY.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING FINELY DIVIDBD MATERIAL FOR THE RECOVER-Y OFMETALS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13. 1903.

No. 774,736. PATEN'I'ED NOV. 15, 1904.

. D. G. BOLEY. APPARATUS FOR TREATING FINELY DIVIDED MATERIAL FOR THERECOVERY 0F METALS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13, 1903. IIQMODBL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

0* @b @fi I: I I M] i Iii NITED STATES Patented November 15, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING FlNELY-DIVIDED MATERIAL FOR THE RECOVERY OFMETALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,736, dated November15, 1904.

Application filed April 13, 1903. Serial No. 152,365. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known'that I, DANIEL O. BOLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing in Deadwood, in the county of Lawrence and State of SouthDakota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus forTreating Finely-Divided Material for the Recovery of Metals, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved apparatus for treatingfinely-divided materialsuch as pulverized rook, sands, talc, clay, andslimes-for the recovery of gold, silver, or other metals containedtherein by the use of solvents. It has been specially employed for thepurpose of recovering gold from slimes by means of a solution of cyanidof potassium, the gold being subsequently taken from said solution.

The invention consists in the means employed for passing air, water, orsolution upward through the mass of slime, powder, or sand and which isshown in the drawings, or described in the following specification, inWhich- Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus; Fig. 2, a sideelevation; Fig. 3, a front elevation of the supply-tank arrangement;Fig. 4, a section on line 4 4 of- Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a section, on alargerscale, on line 5 5 of Fig. 1 to show the construction of filterarrangement; and Fig. 6 is a similar section on line 6 6 of Fig. 1.

In said drawings, A represents the filtertank in which the material istreated.

B is a supply-tank for containing a supply of solution of cyanid ofpotassium or other solvent employed, which is usually called barrensolution'that is to say, one that does not yet contain any gold orsilver metal or hlas been exhaustedthereof as far as practica B at alower level is a subsidiary tank for the purpose of determining andregulating the hydraulic head and consequent amount of pressure of thisliquid on the filter fabric and the contents of tank A.

U is a tank similar to B, but for containing water, and C its similarsubsidiary head-determining tank.

A convenient means for regulating and maintaining the desired head inthe tank B G is shown at Fig. 4, where Z) is a valve controlling theoutlet of tank B and I) afloat in tank B, the valve and float beingconnected by the cord 6 passing over pulleys 5 hen the water-line risesto a certain previously determined and regulable height in tank B, thefloat being lifted permits the valve to close or partially close, andthus prevents the delivery of more liquid, and when the waterline islowered below this level the weight of the float opens the valve toadmit a further supply. By this or other well-known means the height ofthe head of liquid is regulated and kept constant and the amount ofpressure on the contents of tank A determined and adjusted, as desired.

D is a tank or closed vessel or other supply containing compressed airor gas, if it be desired to use such.

The tank B by means of the pipe B the tank C by means of the pipe andthe airsupply D by mean sof the pipe D are each connected to the twopipes E E, valves being provided for cutting either or all, as at F F FF F F.

The pipes E E,it will be seen,pass below the tank A, and from them shortriserpipes G, one for each section of the filter, extend up through thetank-bottom, delivering below the filtering medium. Of course instead oftwo pipes E E a single pipe might be employed; but I prefer to use thetwo pipes, one delivering to one half of the filter-surface and theother to the other half or portion, as this affords a convenient meansfor agitating the contents of the tank A by creating currents therein,which may be done by cutting off the air from one side, whereby thesupply from the other side will create a rolling action in saidcontents, so that the same will be thoroughly stirred when required.

The filter at the bottom of the filter-tank is constructed as follows:The bottom planking A of the tank A is traversed on its upper surface bygrooves a at intervals of, say, one foot, the grooves running entirelyacross the floor of the tank. Between these grooves are placed strips Hof fibrous and porous matting-such, for example, as what is known ascocoa matting. These strips are not absolutely essential; but I preferto employ them for producing a more nearly level bottom for the canvasnow to be mentioned. The canvas J may be any ordinary stout cotton orlinen duck fabric, or, if preferred, some special fabric, if thesolutions are such as to eat or destroy cotton or linen, may beemployed. This canvas may preferably be cut into strips wide enough tolaterally cover the distance between two or more of the grooves a, andthey should be long enough to reach from side to side of the tank and toenter the packing-grooves a in said sides. The canvas is attached to thefloor of the tank as follows: The strip beginning at one side of thetank is laid down on the floor and secured to the bottom of the tank bydriving down upon it a rope K, placed over the underlying groove a. Thecanvas is then folded back over the rope, and a cleat or batten-strip M,which I prefer to make of iron, is placed down upon the canvas, with oneof its edges resting above the rope and extending to the other edge ofthe groove. This batten 1s secured to the planking of the tank-bottom bybolts or screws in, Whose heads should be countersunk. By this means thecanvas is secured to the floor of the tank Without perforation, andconsequently without danger of subsequent leakage. The folded-backportion of the canvas strip is now turned down and brought over thebatten toward the next groove 0, where the operation is repeated. Thejoinings between the canvas strips where they occur are made inthegrooves a by lapping adjacent strips together under the wedge-rope.After all of the canvas strips are thus secured to the bottom by' thegrooves a, ropes K, and battens M the edges are secured to the sides ofthe tank all around by entering the canvas in the compartmental grooved,drivingin against it the rope K and securing that in place by the ironband M. By this means of securing the canvas to the floor of the tankall perforation of the sheet and all overlying battens are obviated, andthese results are important, for I have found if nails, bolts, orscrews, or other fastenings are caused to puncture the fabric thepuncture under the upward pressure of the liquid or air tends toconstantly enlarge, so that a leak is soon established and soonincreased until the operation is practically destroyed, and that ifbattens are placed down upon the canvas the slimes settle on top of thebattens, pack, and prevent the best results, whereas in the constructionillustrated nothing overlies the canvas and nothing perforates it.Moreover, from edge to edge of each section the canvas is free to riseor bulge up gently under the impulse of the upflowing fluids and a freefiltering-passage permitted throughout the whole extent of the surfaceof the bottom of the tank.

l The liquid contained in the tank A is to be l drawn off therefrom byan overflow device l of some sort. A very good one for this purpose isillustrated in Fig. 2, and it consists of a jointed pipe N, passing outthrough the l tank side to the launderN. \Vithin the tank the upper endof this pipe is attached to a float N partly sustained by a cord andweight N N".

The operation of my apparatus as the same is used in auriferous slimesis as follows: The pulverized-rock slimes, fine sand, or sand and slimescontaining the gold are run into the tank A, together with the cyanidsolution, in proper proportion-say one-third of the solid to twothirdsof the solution up to as high sometimes as equal parts of each. The tankshould not be filled entirely full. At least a foot of space at the topshould be left to accommodate the ebullition of the contents produced bythe next step. The air from the air-supply D is now turned to the pipesE E, and it forces its way up through the canvas into the pulpy mass ofslimes, &c., throughout the whole surface of the bottom, producing theebullition above referred to. The air acts not only to agitate the mass,but also furnishes the oxygen for the chemical action in which the goldenters into combination with the cyanid solution, thus hastening theaction of the cyanid upon the gold. In addition to this also theagitating action of the air on the mass operates to stratify theparticles of matter according to their varying size and specificgravity, bringing the larger and heavier particles toward the lower andthe smaller and lighter particles toward the upper strata. This makesthe mass more readily permeable by the uprising liquids. The air ispermitted to flow for any desired time until all the gold is dissolvedand combined with the cyanid solution. This will take ordinarily fromthree to five hours. To give a thorough mixing at the end, I prefer tocutoff the air-supply from one side of the tank, so that the air at theother side will set the contents to rolling. The air is now out off andthe contents allowed to settle, after which the valves to admit thebarren solution from the tank B are opened and the upflow of this liquidthrough the canvas started. The pressure of this liquid beneath thecontents of the tank is adjusted to that degree that the upflowingliquid will not lift the lightest particles of the slime to the top ofthe tank. This can be done by adjusting the float 7) to the proper head.This can be determined by observing the liquid at the top of the tank A.If the proper head and pressure exist, there will be a Zone of clearliquid at the top of said tank A of about a foot in depth. The float Nis set at such height that no overflow Will occur and that only theclear supernatent liquid will be discharged, so that the clear zone willbe main- After thus passtained at a constant depth.

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ing up through a suflicieney of barren solution to be certain that thegold solution has been mostly carried up and off the valves are shutfrom tank B and the valves opened from the tank 0, admitting Wash-Waterto flow up through the tank A to displace the barren solution. The flowof wash-water is continued until the .barren solution has been displacedin the tank A and some water added toit to compensate for evaporationand other losses. The tank now contains only waste and Water and isready to be discharged. To prevent settling and clogging of thedischarge-outlet, (not shown,) I now turn on the air, preferably on bothsides, to keep the whole mass in agitation, the discharge-outlet isopened, and the entire contents of the tank A discharged readily, and itis then ready to fill again to repeat the operation.

I claim- 1. In an apparatus for treating material by an upward flow offluids, the combination of a tank having a bottom perforated for theupward passage therethrough of the fluid, of

' a lining of textile fabric secured to the bottom of the tank by meansof folds of the fabric itself,whereby overlying battens above the fabricare dispensed with and perforation of the fabric obviated, substantiallyas specified.

2. In an apparatus for treating material by an upward flow of fluids,the combination of a tank having a bottom perforated for the upwardpassage therethrough of the fluid, of a lining of textile fabric securedto the bottom of the tank by means of folds of the fabric itself, theedges of the fabric being secured to the sides of the tank, wherebyoverlying battens above the fabric are dispensed with and perforation ofthe fabric obviated, substantially as specified.

3. The tank having a perforated bottom for the passage therethrough offluid, combined with a lining of textile fabric secured to the uppersurface of the tank-bottom by folds of the fabric inserted in grooves inthe tankbottom, said folds being filled with the packing material, as arope, and held to the tankbottom by battens overlying the groove butplaced beneath the textile fabric, substantially as specified.

at. The tank having a perforated bottom for the passage therethrough offluid, combined with a lining of textile fabric secured to the uppersurface of the tank-bottom by folds of the fabric inserted in grooves inthe tankbottom, said folds being filled With the packing material, as arope, and held to the tankbottom by battens overlying the groove butplaced beneath the textile fabric, the edges of the textile fabric beingsecured to the sides of the tank by means of a groove into which thefabric is inserted, a packing as of rope, and a band setting against thepacking, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with a tank having a perforated bottom and anoverlying filtering textile fabric secured to the bottom at many pointsthroughout the surface of the fabric, with means for forcing liquid upthrough the bottom of the tank, substantially as specified.

6. The combination with a tank having a perforated bottom and anoverlying filtering textile fabric secured to the bottom at many pointsthroughout the surface of the fabric, with means for forcing liquid upthrough the bottom of the tank, said means consisting of an elevatedtank provided with means for regulating the height of the liquid in saidtank, substantially as specified.

7. The combination with a tank having a perforated bottom and anoverlying filtering textile fabric secured to the bottom at many pointsthroughout the surface of the fabric, With means for forcing liquid upthrough the bottom of the tank, said means consisting of an elevatedtank provided with means for regulating the height of the liquid in saidtank consisting of a float-regulated valve for cutting OE and turning onthe liquid-supply to the tank, substantially as specified.

8. The tank having a perforated bottom for the upward passagetherethrough of fluid, combined with a lining of textile fabric throughwhich the flow must pass, two supply-tanks, one for containing asolution and one for containing water, and a compressedair or gas supplyall connected by pipes to the first-named tank-bottom provided withvalves so that fluid from either one of the three can be deliveredbeneath the textile fabric, substantially as specified.

9. The tank having a perforated bottom for the upward passagetherethrough of fluid, combined with a lining of textile fabric throughwhich the flow must pass, two pipes leading beneath the tank connectedby risers to different portions of the tank-bottom, and 7 connected to acompressed-air or gas supply, and having valves so that the air or gasmay be admitted through part or all of said risers, substantially asspecified.

DANIEL C. BOLEY.

Witnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, WILLIAM A. GEIGER.

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